Functional Food Spotlight: Mushrooms

Functional mushrooms?

Mushrooms add flavor and texture to a variety of meals, but have you ever tried foods or beverages made with functional mushrooms? There are estimated at least 12,000 different mushroom species worldwide, with 2000 used in foods or as functional ingredients.

We think about mushrooms as vegetables, but botanically they are a fungus. Nutritionally, mushrooms contain high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are also low in fat and calories. Each different type of mushroom offers slightly different health benefits that are being used in a variety of different applications as functional ingredients. 

What are functional ingredients?

A functional ingredient is a bioactive compound obtained from a variety of sources such as fruits and vegetables, marine sources, microorganisms, inorganic raw materials, and mushrooms. Functional ingredients are added to foods and beverages – either in processing or at home – to provide possible health benefits such as regulating mood, boosting digestive health, decreasing inflammation, promoting cardiovascular health, and supporting cognitive health.

Four functional mushrooms currently available:

Reishi, often described as the ‘mushroom of immortality’, is one of the most widely used medicinal mushrooms in the world, used to promote well-being and longevity in traditional Chinese medicine. Research shows reishi has anticancer, hypoglycemic, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, cytotoxic, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic, antimutagenic, antiaging, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective properties due to triterpenes/triterpenoids and polysaccharides. Reishi is a good source of several vitamins and minerals and also contains amino acids and fiber. Dried reishi is readily available, and its naturally bitter flavor works well in tea, smoothies, or savory soups at home. 

Cordyceps, traditionally found in higher altitudes in the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, Tibet, and India, is known for adaptogenic, tonic effects and the ability to reduce fatigue and stimulate the immune system. Cordyceps contains several different types of antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals. It’s found in capsules, tinctures, powders, and teas and used as a functional ingredient in several types of foods.  There are over 750 different cordyceps species, each with different potential health benefits. C. senensis and C. militaris are two cordyceps species with scientific research as well as used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine.

I. obliquus is commonly known as chaga mushrooms, grows throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, and has a long history in traditional medicine. Research on I. obliquus extracts confirms a variety of antioxidants that have antiviral, antibacterial, immune-stimulating, and anti-tumor activity in lab and animal experiments but there are not yet human research trials. Dried chaga is often used in tea, smoothies, or even added to hot chocolate. It’s used as a functional ingredient in soups and frozen meals to promote a strong immune system and healthy skin and support cardiovascular health.

Lion’s Mane mushrooms are big, white mushrooms with a flavor that many compare to shellfish that grow in Asian countries where they are consumed raw, dried or cooked. They are a good source of several vitamins and minerals and also contain antioxidant and antiviral properties that may decrease chronic inflammation associated with arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Studies have found that Lion’s mane mushrooms contain ericenones and erinacines, two chemicals that accelerate the growth of brain cells and may be important in preventing dementia and neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s. They’ve also been investigated as a possible treatment for anxiety and depression. You can purchase raw Lion’s mane mushrooms to use in recipes at home, and it’s also used as a functional ingredient in beverages, energy bars, and prepared meals.

Our suggestions:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate supplements, so you never know how much of a specific mushroom a supplement actually contains.

• More research is needed, especially studies that measure health benefits in humans, in order to confirm any of the proposed benefits and how effective they really are. Even though mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine, we still need human scientific studies to determine both health benefits as well as safety.

• Mushrooms used as functional ingredients also need more research to determine genetic variabilities and optimum growth, environmental and post-harvest conditions.

• If you’re thinking about using mushrooms to treat an illness or chronic condition, be sure to discuss this with your physician in advance due to the potential of interference with medications.

Resources:

Food Processing. 10 Ingredients with Benefits You’ll Want to Add to your Product Formulations.  https://www.foodprocessing.com/ingredients/functional-ingredients/article/21438872/10-ingredients-with-benefits-youll-want-to-add-to-your-product-formulations  published 12-28-22; accessed 5-20-23

Forbes. A First-Timer’s Guide to Healing with Functional Mushrooms. Bianca Salonga. https://www.forbes.com/sites/biancasalonga/2022/03/30/a-first-timers-guide-to-healing-with-functional-mushrooms/?sh=3e71c19b2dcb published 3.20.22; accessed 5.20.23.

Das AK, Nanda PK, Dandapat P, Bandyopadhyay S, Gullón P, Sivaraman GK, McClements DJ, Gullón B, Lorenzo JM. Edible Mushrooms as Functional Ingredients for Development of Healthier and More Sustainable Muscle Foods: A Flexitarian Approach. Molecules. 2021 Apr 23;26(9):2463. doi: 10.3390/molecules26092463. PMID: 33922630; PMCID: PMC8122938.

Government of South Australia. Introduction to Functional Foods and Ingredients. https://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/287683/Functional_Foods_Guidance_-_What_are_Functional_Foods.pdf  accessed 5.20.23

Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Mushrooms. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/mushrooms/  accessed 5.21.23

Venturella G, Ferraro V, Cirlincione F, Gargano ML. Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 10;22(2):634. doi: 10.3390/ijms22020634. PMID: 33435246; PMCID: PMC7826851.

Jędrejko KJ, Lazur J, Muszyńska B. Cordyceps militaris: An Overview of Its Chemical Constituents in Relation to Biological Activity. Foods. 2021 Oct 30;10(11):2634. doi: 10.3390/foods10112634. PMID: 34828915; PMCID: PMC8622900.

Cleveland Clinic. Cordyceps is a Killer Fungi with Potential Health Benefits. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cordyceps-benefits/ published 3.10.23; accessed 5.21.23

Phull AR, Ahmed M, Park HJ. Cordyceps militaris as a Bio Functional Food Source: Pharmacological Potential, Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Related Molecular Mechanisms. Microorganisms. 2022 Feb 10;10(2):405. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10020405. PMID: 35208860; PMCID: PMC8875674.

Lu Y, Jia Y, Xue Z, Li N, Liu J, Chen H. Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Apr 29;13(9):1441. doi: 10.3390/polym13091441. PMID: 33947037; PMCID: PMC8124789.

Nourish by WebMD. What are the Health Benefits of Lion’s Mane Mushrooms? Venkat S. R. https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-lions-mane-mushrooms  published 5.20.22; accessed 5.21.23